


The Reapers are Coming!

by Charming_Quill



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-21 13:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6054007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charming_Quill/pseuds/Charming_Quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate universe, Cerberus attacks a college campus, forcing an engineer Spectre candidate and friends to fight for their life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reapers are Coming!

Tugging at my nylon gloves, I smoothed out my lab coat. I made certain my auburn hair was tied back. Glancing up at my partner, I clapped my hands together. “You ready to try again, Grunt?”

Bowing his head, Urdnot Grunt clenched his teeth. “Ah, what’s the point, Layla?” He threw up his arms in frustration. “We’ve been at this for hours. If I haven’t gotten it by now, I’ll never get it. Might as well give up, and quit chemistry.”

‘Not this again,’ I moaned. Glancing at their chemistry professor, the famous solarian Mordin Solus, I rolled her eyes. We shared a brief moment of impatience before he went back to reading his songbook. Grunt’s bemoaning was starting to grate on my nerves. “What kind of wimpy talk is that?” I scoffed, resting my hands on my hips.

“Wimpy?” That word made him snarl. Curling his lips, he crossed his arms. Was she questioning his validity?

“Yeah! I wasn’t aware krogan’s gave up so easily. But hey,” I casually shrugged. “If you feel like quitting, go ahead. Though, I don’t think Wrex and Bakara would be too proud of you.”

Without warning, Grunt grabbed a fistful of white powder, and dumped it into a flask. Then, he haphazardly poured in a jar of liquid. The solution hissed. He used his bare hands to place the glass atop a Bunsen burner.

“Um…Grunt…” I cringed, taking a slight step back, and readjusted my goggles. Suddenly regretting my decision to antagonize him, I anticipated this would end about as well as the other experiments: in complete an utter disaster. “I think you might’ve put in a little too much…”

The reaction began to sizzle, violently shaking the flask, and puffing smoke. Flames licked the mesh wire. Beginning to crack, the glass started to turn brown. Inside, the solution had morphed into black ooze that bubbled over the top.

Reacting quickly, I shut of the burner. I picked up a set of tongs. As carefully as possible, I lifted the flask from the fire. It finally stopped.

“Thank god,” I sighed.

“Urgh!” Grunt slammed his fists onto the table. He shook his head. “Why can’t I get this damn thing right?” He growled.

I steadied the beaker, making sure it did not spill over. “It’s not that bad,” I lied. “You only partially melted to flask this time. And you actually followed the directions. Well…mostly…”

“That is putting things mildly. Experiment was conducted carelessly. Used too much hydrochloric acid. Not enough basic solution to balance it out. Adding heat to the mixture before it was properly dissolved. Will have to try again.” Mordin chimed in. He poked the newly formed substance, and smiled. “Interesting substance. Never seen results quite like this. Never this bad.”

Shaking my head, I sighed, slapping my forehead. “Yes, Professor Mordin. Thanks for the lovely pep talk. Truly you are an inspiration to all students.” I very carefully lifted up a biohazard bin, and tossed the flask inside.

“Only speaking the truth. Grunt will have to try again if he hopes to receive a better grade.”

“Okay…” Turning away, I looked at Grunt and shrugged. “Guess it wouldn’t hurt to try it one more time.”

“But what am I doing wrong?”

“Here,” I placed my hands over his to calm him down. It worked. His shoulders and face relaxed, giving way to a slight smile. I gestured to the worksheet. “Read the instructions, and take notes on what you have to do. We’ll take this a step at a time.”

First, we measured out the exact amount of white powder. Then we dumped it into the flask. Then we were in the process of pouring the acid into a beaker. Neither of us said a word. We were wrapped up in getting this experiment done, working as a single unit.

And, surprisingly, Grunt was doing well. He asked questions. Got genuinely excited when he figured something out. Everything was fine.

Suddenly, Tali burst through the door, and slammed it shut. She was panting heavily. Both Grunt and I tilted our heads in confusion. Setting down the beaker, I asked, “Um..what’s up, Tali? Did something happen?”

“Ran…across…the campus…Cerberus…attacking…”

“Cerberus?” I was stunned. They were a terrorist group trying to rip the galaxy apart. “What are they doing here?”

“I don’t know! They’re storming the building right now, and they have guns. And they’re forcing people out of the building.” She started to hyperventilate, clinging to her environmental suit. “I think I heard gunshots outside. What if they’re executing people? What if they figured out we had a SPECTRE program? What if they’re here to blow us up as a political statement…?”

My mind was wandering down that same path. I had brief flashes of possible scenarios playing in my imagination. But, I could not allow myself to be consumed by them. I pulled myself back.

Squeezing her shoulder, I said, “Tali. Get ahold of yourself. Have you called campus security?”

She shook her head. “Yes.”

“Good. Now, do you remember exactly where Cerberus is when you ran into the building?”

“They were over by the main lecture hall.” She shivered. “But I don’t see how that helps us. I’m only carrying a few light smoke bombs, and guns aren’t allowed in the building. We can’t defend ourselves.”

At that moment, Mordin shut his book, and stood up. “Not entirely true. Students not permitted guns in building, but teachers not subject to this rule as stated in section 95 of campus doctrine.” He walked to his desk. Keys in hand, he unlocked the drawer. He pulled out a pistol, and two shotguns, and distributed them among us.

I got saddled with the pistol while Tali and Grunt held shotguns. Tali looked upon her weapon in horror. “But I only use pistols. What am I supposed to do with this?”

“No time for arguments. Cerberus is likely done with sweeping the main hallway. Moved onto corridors. Probably split. Must leave and get outside. Security will take care of rest.”

“Well, I’m up for some action,” Grunt cocked his chin, and grinned. “What do you say, Layla? Want to put that SPECTRE training to good use?”

I did not respond. My mind was racing. Corridors were narrow with plenty of rooms to duck into. Smoke bombs would help, but Tali probably did not pack enough. Besides, they were a side experiment, and not guaranteed to work. We had to have some form of defense. Charging down the hall would definitely get us killed.

Glancing at Grunt, then at the table, an idea struck me. I swiped the container of powder and acid, capped them, and shoved them in my backpack. Grunt narrowed his eyes. “What are you thinking, Lay?”

“I think we don’t stand a chance unless we provide some cover and distractions.” Gesturing to the table, I added, “I need you to flip this table, and help us push it down the hallway. And Tali, I need you to grab as many extra flasks and beakers that you can. Fill them up.”

They both followed my instructions. When we were ready, we pushed the table against the door. Carefully, I leaned over, and touched the handle. This is it, I thought. Let’s hope this works.

The door swung open. A small group of men were lined up, blocking the end of the hallway. They wore black and white and orange uniforms. Each held heavy assault rifles. Their heads turned, facing us. I ducked behind the table.

“Hey!” A man’s voice boomed. “Get on the ground, and put your hands behind your back. If you surrender, we won’t hurt you.”

Quietly, I took the beaker of acid, and dumped some powder in there. Tali watched in horror as it began to bubble up. Taking a deep breath, I stood up, and launched the beaker at them. There was a miniature explosion. The glass shattered. It flew a million different directions, cutting deep into the men’s skin. Some howled in pain.

“Tali!” I pointed at them. “Throw one of your smoke bombs!”

She did. The confusion gave us a brief moment of cover which allowed us to scoot the table forward and start firing. A few men collapsed on the ground. Blood spurted from their wounds as they gagged and gurgled. Once the smoke cleared, the others started firing back. It was a hailstorm of bullets.

The shotgun blasts were deafening. At first, Tali had trouble with the blowback, but she quickly got the hang of it. Grunt was a natural. He plowed through people with ease.

My pistol screamed for more ammo. I looked to Mordin. He shook his head. “Only a few sets of ammo. Not enough for prolonged firefight. This will have to end soon. Only viable exit is through front door. All other corridors blocked.”

“Then, we’ll have to create more of a distraction.” I ramped up my shields. This was an incredibly stupid idea. I knew it, and I could hear a hundred different voices telling me the same thing. I ignored my instincts.

I hoped over the table.

“Layla!” Tali screeched. “What are you…?”

Extending my hand, my omni-tool appeared. The dial spun until it landed on incinerate. I spewed fire, keeping them at bay. Grunt charged up from behind. A few shotgun blasts later, he had picked them all off. Every single one was lying on the floor. They were not breathing.

There was no time to dwell on this. “Let’s go!” I ordered. Falling in line, we made a break for the front door. We were shocked to find there was no opposition. In mere minutes, we burst through the doors.

I never thought I would be happy to see the orange sky. But in that moment, I was ecstatic. We made it. The shock washed over my body. My legs began to wobble. I felt a rough hand grab my elbow. “Lay? You okay?” He whispered.

My spine tingled. There was a slight blur of my vision. All the energy was zapped from me. But, instead of complaining, I merely nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

He wrapped his arms around me. We rocked back and forth as he stroked my hair. His body radiated heat. He smelled like dirt and sweat. “You know…you can cry if you want. I won’t tell anyone.”

I drew in a deep breath. “No. I’m good. Just…need a moment to take it all in.” Pulling away, I smiled, touching his cheek. “But, I appreciate your concern.”

“Look,” Tali interrupted. “Other people made it out too.”

I glanced around, staring at the crowd of people gathered by the sidewalk. They all appeared dumbfounded. Some were on the ground crying.

I spotted Wrex walking toward us. He wore his dark blue security armor. A hefty shotgun was cradled in his hands. “What happened here?” he grunted.

Grunt straightened out his back. “Cerberus attacked the building. We managed to fight our way out. There might still be someone inside.”

“I’m already on it. Nyreen’s SWAT team is on route. She’ll take it from here.” Slapping my back, Wrex chuckled. “Well, it seems like you kids had a rough day.”

Mordin chimed in. “Yes, was definitely rough, but you three were effective at taking Cerberus out. Excellent work. You handled the situation very well. Definitely worthy of an A. You all should be proud and tired. Go rest now.” He urged.

“Yeah…that’s probably a good idea.” I turned toward Grunt, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “See you for our date tomorrow?”

He blushed. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Great,” I winked, turned, and hooked my arm around Tali. “I don’t know about you, but I just want to go to our dorm and take a shower and sleep.”

“Yes,” Tali shook her head. Her hands were still trembling. “I think that would be a good idea.”

“Come on,” I grabbed her hand, and we started walking in the direction of our dorm.


End file.
